


Everything's Changing Now

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-09
Updated: 2009-08-09
Packaged: 2019-01-19 18:52:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12415929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: Lily has always despised her not so secret admirer. But when he stops being so obsessed with her can they at least become friends? Like she has much of a choice.





	1. Meeting The Head Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

Impatiently she waited, glancing at her watch every what seemed to be ten seconds. How could someone who had been selected to hold so much power, so much responsibility, be twenty minutes late for one of those responsibilities? The thought pondered Lily Evan's head as she became more furious with her new partner. The girl had always been the impatient type, impatient actually seemed rather dim for what she was.  
  
Of course it bugged Lily that the guy she was supposed to be working with for the next year was twenty minutes late. Actually, he was only five minutes late. Lily had always been that responsible, well ordered person who arrived fifteen minutes before she was supposed to be there. So even though the boy in question was only five minutes late, she was angry for having to sit there by herself for twenty minutes. Shouldn't Dumbledore have put someone just as responsible as her in the position of head boy? She was actually sure he did, after calming down and thinking about it, she came to find she felt foolish for thinking badly of Dumbledore's judgment. He had chosen her hadn't he? She soon decided that the head boy would have a very reasonable explanation for not showing up at the right time.  
  
So for the next two and a half minutes the seventeen year old witch sat in the compartment considering possible reasons the young man would be late for something so important. Well honestly it wasn't end of the world kind of importance. Just a few weeks before young Lily Evans had received her usual letter from Hogwarts. It went on telling her about what kind of books she would be needing his year, which classes she would be taking and some other nonsense. But this year, like a letter two years previous when she had been declared a prefect, this letter happened to be very special. She had been chosen by the head master to be Head Girl. With the letter came a pin with the letters HG, and instructions to meet the new Head Boy in the heads compartment at 11:00 where they would discuss prefect arrangements, password arrangements for the school and a few other things.  
  
When Lily had first recieved the letter she couldn't even speak because she was over whelmed with joy, after that it turned to fear. What if the person Dumbledore had chosen for her to work with, was someone she couldn't stand? What if it was someone extremely irresponsible and had no respect for authority? But after a while the young girl came to the realization that Dumbledore would only pick someone who was responsible for the job, and from what she knew the Head Boy and Head Girl positions were chosen from the prefects of their year, and so she knew it would be either Remus Lupin or Teddy Mackson, because they were the most responsible boys of the four prefects. She in fact got along with the two young men very well, even though she couldn't stand Remus' three friends. But she had decided not to judge him by his three idiotic friends. Now Lily had no fear of either situation, sure Dumbledore sometimes seemed quite insane, but she was sure he would do what was best for his school.  
  
Suddenly the door began to rattle a bit (you had to rattle the door to open it because it stuck a bit), and Lily knew that the Head Boy would emerge any second. And when the door finally slid open, and he did enter, she felt her body go into shock. No this couldn't be right, it just couldn't be. How could Dumbledore make JAMES BLOODY POTTER head boy?! How could he? James Potter was the most ego filled jerk on the planet. Not only that but he had NO respect for rules or authority, his life seemed to be all about BREAKING rules, not enforcing them. Dumbledore had clearly lost his mind. How could he make the least responsible boy on the face of the earth head boy? It made no sense! Had he fallen and injured his head since the school year had ended? Was he ill? Or was he just plain crazy as she had always believed him too be? Either way how could this be happening?! Both of her earlier fears had now been realized.  
  
James stood there for a few moments, staring at Lily. She was to shocked to move or say anything, she wasn't even sure if she was breathing or not. She just sat there, wide eyed with her mouth hanging slightly open. She was expecting it to happen any moment, like it always did when they encountered, she was waiting for him to hit on her, ask him out, or something of the sort. But it ever came.  
  
"Yeah I can just see how much you missed me," Potter said, closing the door and walking over to his seat. His voice wasn't filled with the flirty tone that it usually was, he didn't wink at her, or show any signs in being vaguely interested in her like he had for the past six years. It shocked her even more, "sorry for being late. Remus was helping explain some things about the head boy position to me." he explained, not even looking at Lily for more than a second, he then pulled out some pieces or parchment.  
  
Before Lily could even say anything he continued, "Now rather than assigning a schedule to the prefects, I was thinking just set up a chart in the meeting room and have them sign up for two nights a week that they would like to do rounds. That way it won't get in the way of any other commitments they have." The boy mummered as he stared at his paper. The idea stunned Lily. Who was this boy? It certainly was not the James Potter she had known for the past six years, she was close to presuming that it was all just a nightmare, but after secretly pinching herself she came to discover that she was in fact very much awake.  
  
"Uh.. y-yeah. That is a great idea," she stuttered, still in shock of how mature the boy seemed to be. It was something she never thought she would live to see.  
  
James looked at her with a questioning look, probably because her how she stuttered. It was not like her. Lily normally spoke with a strong, confident voice, or well she did around him anyway. His face seemed to have even change, she noted as she examined his face. It was not the same. Normally it was so bright, playful, foolish, but now it seemed.. well she didn't know but it was an unplaceable, cold look. Even his normally bright hazel eyes seemed to have dulled down. But she did not like it, it even kind of worried her. She was worried about Potter? That was certainly new.  
  
"As for the passwords, I already wrote down a list," he said and handed them to Lily, "I sent them to Dumbledore last night actually, he approved them, so that's another thing we don't have to discuss."  
  
The young raven haired boy rummaged through some more papers. Lily was used to being the one that did things a head of schedule, she was the one that usually took the responsibility of doing all the work so this was a second new experience for that took place in only a few short minutes. First, James Potter actually did something, and he seemed to be responsible and have no interest in her. Second, someone else had done all the work.  
  
"I think that's all we had to discuss here," he said and looked up at her, before tucking the parchments back away, "Is there anything that you wanted to add?" he asked, Lily just shook her head. And with that the boy nodded at her, "Later Evans." he said before exiting the compartment.  
  
Lily Evans sat there staring at the boy she had despised for six years. She was feeling something about the way he had treated her, but she could not quite place it. Was he really not interested in her? But that was a good thing! Yeah. A good thing. She sat there for a few moments, just thinking about what had just happened, and then she got up and too exited the compartment and set off to go find her friends, to tell them about what she had just experienced.


	2. Great start to a new year! Not.

Whatever was wrong with his best friend, Sirius Black just couldn't seem to figure it out. They had been best friends since they met on the train only seven years earlier. They had always been there for one another, though all the hard stuff. So this time when James didn't go to Sirius for even the smallest bit of help, it really hurt. What was he supposed to do? He had tried everything to try to get through the wall James had built, protecting himself from everyone else. Nothing worked. His family and friends had even tried having an intervention, it failed, to say the least.

"Sirius would you quit staring at me? It's bloody creepy." James said, giving Sirius a weird look.

Sirius raised his eyebrow in a thoughtful manner, this was his chance. "I will if you tell me what's wrong." He gambled.

James just rolled his eyes and started looking out the window again. He tried to hide it but everyone could see the pain in his expressions, in his eyes. He was fooling nobody but Sirius figured that James liked to think he did. He was never really good at hiding his emotions, though from Sirius' knowledge he had never really tried before. So he couldn't really see what was different now. He couldn't think about anything that had happened out of the ordinary.

The school year was coming to a close, they had their exams, all that other boring stuff, James got rejected by Lily... again, he was upset for a bit but then went back to normal, they went home, things were fine and then two weeks into summer he completely changed. He got depressed and started acting completely different from himself. It was the way that things went every year but he had never gotten depressed or anything before. Sirius made a mental note to talk to Dumbledore about some counseling for James. After he did so, images of James strangling him and yelling at him for doing it crossed his mind. He chuckled softly to himself at the thought and sat back in his seat.  
\--------------------------------------------  
Sirius bounced up and down impatiently as they sat in the carriages, waiting for them to get to the school. He was to hungry for this, the wait was killing him. But this was just another tradition. Sirius would refuse to eat anything on the train, he would say he was fine and wait and wait. Near the end hour or so he would be starving and by the time he got there he was to hungry to even sit still. After a year or so you would think that someone would have learned the lesson, but not Sirius.

"Sirius would you sit still? It looks like you're going to wet yourself." Remus said, annoyed because Sirius was making the carriage move in weird angles and by the look on Remus' face, he guessed it was making him slightly nauseous. But that didn't stop him, of course not. Now however he was just seeing if he could make Remus vomit. "Sirius I swear to Merlin if you don't stop on the next full moon you are going to regret it." He complained, but Sirius knew he was all talk.

It was about five minutes before they finally got to the castle and no, Remus hadn't gotten ill but he looked close to being so. Sirius chuckled to himself until he felt a hand slap against the back of his head. "You are such an imbecile, Padfoot." Remus muttered and raced ahead of them, clearly being sick of Sirius already. He could be pretty annoying.

He used his skill of annoyance when they were seated in the Great Hall, during the sorting ceremony, he was bugging Addison Mikinley, best friend of Lily Evans. So because of James' obsession with all things Evan's, last year Sirius had seen a lot of Mikinley and he began to like her. Soon enough he started asking her out. She of course said no, and he continued. So people started calling her "Sirius' Lily". Lily wasn't very pleased either. Sirius was like James though, but in a kind of different way. James acted like a prat to try to get Evans attention, and Sirius just acted immature. It was new to them that they couldn't just get any girl they wanted. But what wasn't to want about Addison Mikinley. Normally Sirius proffered black hair, but she pulled blonde off perfectly. The way her long hair went into ringlets towards the bottom was adorable. Her dark blue eyes were deep enough to get him lost, they were perfect. She was flawlessly beautiful. He suspected that some part of her family had to be Veela. But she said it wasn't true. But who knows.

"Come on Addie, one date. Would it kill you?" Sirius said with a puppy dog face. He had the best puppy dog face, James said that it was because his animagus was a dog, but Sirius claimed he just had talent.

"Probably," she scoffed at him, "you're no better than Potter." James however wasn't even paying attention. He appeared to be watching Remus watch Laura Prewit, Lily's other best friend. People often joked that next Remus would be asking Laura out, but they didn't know how wrong they were. Of course he wanted to, he had always had a little crush on the girl, but he would never ask her or any other girl out. He was to scared of what they would think of him if they found out, and he was really shy. But Sirius wished he would. Laura fancied him back and they were perfect. She was Remus' kind of girl. Petite and thin, shoulder length soft brown hair, soft brown eyes, often found studying, she was equally as shy as Remus, and she was kind of clumsy in a cute way. It was totally his type, but now matter how much his friends pushed him he would never go for it. He wouldn't risk getting hurt like that.

"Come on Addie, I bet that you would have an amazing time with me." Sirius smirked. Although most would assume that he was just being cocky, he wasn't. He honestly thought that he could show her a good time. Sirius Black was known as a ladies man, also a man whore. He had gone out with many girls since he first arrived at Hogwarts. Yes, they mostly fell for his looks and his jerkish charm, but he knew how to treat a woman properly. He wasn't a cocky immature ass all the time, when he was alone with his lady 'friends', he was a gentleman. Shocking but true. That's why all the girls continued to want him.

Addison raised an eyebrow in an implacable manner. "Care to make a wager black?" She asked. The tone of her voice was daring and kind of sly. Of course she thought that she had the winnings in her pocket, she didn't know the real Sirius Black. She had never given the boy the time of day to even learn about him, she was in for a surprise. She didn't think his feelings were genuine.

"Anything you wish." He said, it didn't matter what the wager, he knew he would win. He was sly, oh yes, very sly. But it wasn't very shocking since everyone in his family, but him, had been in Slytherin. He of course had some of those qualities, but he happily found his place in Gryffindor.

"If I win.. you leave me alone." She smirked. She was the one being to cocky this time. She had no idea what was to come of this bet.

"And If I win you Addison Mikinley, will be my girlfriend." He chuckled softly. Many of the surrounding people were now paying attention to the conversation that was taking place between the two students. Sirius could hear some students already making their own bets on whom would win. He made a note to make a wager on himself, just for the hell of it.

Addison's face froze a bit, she was obviously thinking about it. He knew the fears were coming to life in her mind. Of course she was cocky enough to think she would win but what if.. Her eyes were readable. She was shaking that option out of her head. There was no way she would lose right? He was Sirius Black, a cocky jerk. Of course. Sirius sniggered to himself, oh how readable she was. But how very wrong. "What's wrong Mikinley? Know I'm going to win?"

"In. Your. Dreams. You're on Black. First trip to Hogsmead and you're on." she said and stuck out her hand to shake on it. He took her hand and shook it. It was set, the date was on. And she would be his. If only James could have had the same luck with Evans.  
\---------------------------------------------------  
The feast was now drawing to a close, not that Lily Evans had really noticed anyway. She had spent the last hour just poking at some food on her plate. There was too much on her mind to even really think about food. Her best friend had agreed to go on a date with.. dare she even think it.. Sirius Black, and for some reason she couldn't get her mind off of James' weird attitude. Why should it bother her anyway? Why did it matter to her what was wrong with James Potter? She couldn't figure it out but it continued to eat at her like a disease. She wanted to know what was wrong. She.. she couldn't place it. She felt worried, not that she would admit it. It was Potter after all. Her train of thought was broken by the sound of Dumbledore's voice at the front of the hall.

"That was a great meal, I hope everyone was as satisfied as I. But after a long day of travel, I would assume you would all be tired and ready to retire to your comfy beds. So could the prefects, please, lead the first years to their new common rooms and could I see the new head girl and boy in my office in ten minutes. And have a good night." he said warmly, smiling out at everyone and then sat down in his place again and continued a discussion that he was having with Professor McGonagall.

That was her cue so Lily got up and wandered by herself out of the Great Hall, just managing to get around the swarm of students heading in other directions. It was several minutes before she even realized that someone else was walking silently beside her, it was James. She looked over at him. She felt this urge to think of something to say but nothing came out. What was she supposed to say? "Oh well Potter I've noticed that you're depressed or something, and even though for the past six years I've hated your guts, I just want to know because for some sick and twisted reason, you're secretly worrying me." Yes, that would go over swell. As if his ego weren't big enough as it is. And besides, she didn't want him thinking that she was having.. feelings for him. No. She wasn't, not at all. Not James Potter, she hated him. Right? No she couldn't doubt it, she did.

After the argument in her head died down Lily came to find they were standing in front of the gargoyle at the end of a deserted hallway. She knew that behind it was the Headmaster's office, but she didn't know the password. She hadn't bothered really to look over the list of passwords that James had shown her, she had been to shocked at the time. But luckily he would know it.

"Peppermint." his voice came, it made her jump a bit. It seemed harder, and colder than it had sounded on the train, just hours ago. But it still had that responsible tone to it. This only drove her further into that worrying state. WHY WAS SHE WORRYING ABOUT JAMES POTTER?! She was about ready to rip her hair out as she followed James up the stairs. What was happening to her? She had to be ill. Should she go see Madam Pomfrey? No, she would wait and see if it got worse, and then she would seek medical help.

The two entered the office and awkwardly sat in the two wooden chairs that faced the desk. The silence was deafening and Lily wanted to break it but what was she supposed to say? Had it been anyone else it would have been so much easier, but it was James Potter. Why did Dumbledore have to be insane? Why did he have to make James Potter head boy? UGH! Why did her Headmaster have to be the kook? She sighed loudly which would have caused any normal person to look over. James however just stood there, staring at the wall. He wasn't moving, not even blinking. He had this dead expression on his face. Okay really, who wouldn't be worried. Anyone but her that's who. So why was she? She couldn't place it. Maybe it was some kind of hormonal thing. Would this require research?

But finally, to her relief, after several minutes of awkward agony, the door finally opened and Professor Dumbledore emerged into the circular room. Lily watched as he walked around the room, behind the desk and settled himself in a cushioned chair. He stared at them for a moment with those piercing blue eyes and then began to speak.

"I would like to start with congratulations," he said with a smile and nodded at the two of them, "for making head boy and girl this year. I'm sure you're both away of the vast number of responsibilities that you will be given, and I trust you both with them." He trusted Potter with responsibilities? Well.. he did seem to have changed. Maybe it was just an act. "This year you will be expected to plan all the Hogsmead trips, balls, parties or plan ceremonies of any type. You will be in charge of password changes for all things in the school and the prefects, as stated in the letters that you were sent. Like prefects you will have to do patrols, but rather than doing them two nights a week you will do them as many nights a week as you can. Perks, I'm sure you're wondering about. You will get your own common room and dorm rooms, you have the ability to give detentions, give and take points, request a trial for the suspension or expulsion of students, if it is a good reason, and you will have an extra free period." His eyes stared at them, she saw now doubt in his eyes so that made her feel a bit more comfortable for her year ahead with Potter. But people did say that he was crazy so how was she supposed to know. "Any questions?" he asked them.

Lily shook her head. She wanted to ask what in Merlin's name he was thinking when he appointed James Potter as head boy but she couldn't bring herself to do so with the boy sitting right beside her. They may hate each other but whatever was wrong she didn't exactly want to make it worse.

"Miss Evans, I sense there is something you wish to say?" Dumbledore said in a humble voice.

Damn him. Damn her wondering mind. What was she supposed to say? 'Why on earth would you pick an immature prat like Potter to consume so much responsibility?' Oh yes that would be lovely. Great way to start a partnership. Then she got an idea.

"Why us. Why did you pick us?" she knew by the look in his face that he understood her real question, it made him chuckle to himself, as if he knew something they didn't.

"Well miss Evans. You are at the top of your year and you made a spectacular prefect," she felt her cheeks going red, "there was no doubt in anyone's mind I'm sure that you would be head girl. And Mr. Potter because I have a lot of faith in him. And he was the first thing to come to my mind. People often say trust your instincts, and there had to be a reason that my instincts chose him, everything happens for a reason. It was just supposed to be." he smiled curtly.

Oh great he picked head boy at random. That made her feel so much better. Because why would you think about what was best for the school, and think about the facts rather than just pick some idiot of the top of your head? How could she have been so stupid, that's how the world worked of course. All by the first thing on the top of your head. Right. What a load of crap. He really was insane but all she could do was nod.

"I know you don't find my reasons comforting but in time you will come to thank me." he said in a reassuring voice.

Thank him? Why on earth would she thank him? He was throwing her to the blast ended skewrts. Ruining her final year. Was she really expected to work with Potter? How would she live. Great start to the seventh year that's for sure. 


	3. He's fine.

**A/N: My writing was a tad bit shaky in this chapter, I hope you can bare with me.**

A red headed girl ran down the dark corridor. Her panic was made obvious by the fear etched on her face and her impatient mood to get out, to escape. She wasn't quite sure how she had gotten herself into such a mess, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was surviving, but it seemed impossible and her hopes were beginning to diminish, but a voice inside her head was telling her not to give up. 

"Just keep moving," the voice reminded her, but her legs screamed to differ. Several times now they had come close to collapsing because of the physical exhaustion, but somehow she had managed to keep running. Her whole body was now beginning to protest her actions. Rather than make her give up though, it gave her sparks of hope. She wasn't exactly the most fit person in the world, but it did take a lot to get her to this state of physical exhaustion, so how long had she been running for? How long had she managed to stay rid of them? Had her captors given up in the search for her?

After what felt like hours she spotted a door. Had it been hours? Why was this the first door she had come across? Young Lily Evans looked at the door again, the light radiating from the cracks made her insides flip with hope and excitement. Was this it? Was she getting away from that horrible place and those terrible people? Was this it? Was she really going to live? What if they were behind the door though? It was a chance that she was going to have to take, so her trembling had reached out and grasped the cold door handle. She was frightened, if they were behind the door only god knew what they would do to her. But she had to do it, there was not other choice but to do it, this could be her one and only ticket out of that death house. So the girl held her breath and turned her hand.

But the door handle wouldn't budge, it was stuck or locked. A soft cry escaped her cracking lips as the last few pieces of her hopes were murdered. She was never going to get out, was she? Even if they weren't looking anymore, they would eventually just come across her, they would eventually find her. And when they did... it really wouldn't be pretty. There was really no choice but to keep moving, if she just stayed she would be dead meat. So reluctantly, she took off again. As she ran her mind seemed to drift elsewhere, as though it was trying to escape since her body couldn't physically. It seemed to be trying to find a happier place. Memories of her friends, her parents and Hogwarts flowed through her mind, only making hot tears stream down her face. Was she ever going to see them again?

The next thing she knew, she was in horrible pain. Lily found herself falling, she hit the ground over and over again. Because of her lack of attention, Lily had managed to tumble her way down a staircase. A scream erupted from her dry mouth as the pain continued to course through her body as it slammed against the stairs again and again and again.  But finally the falling seized as her body landed on the floor in front of the staircase. "I'm going to die." Lily whispered. she knew that her fall wouldn't go unheard, so any moment now someone would be there to collect her. This was really it. Her body was far to injured to move so there was no chance for escape. She really never would see those things again. She would never laugh with her friends again, do another homework assignment or see the cheerful, loving looks on her mother's and father's faces as she got of the Hogwarts Express. This was the end of Lily Evans.

As she expected, footsteps began to echo in the corridor, just as hers had when she had been running. Hers had been panicked though, these too, however, were rushed but probably out of excitement. They lived for the kill and torture. Lily couldn't help but prey that it was fast and painless, but she knew she wasn't that lucky. 

"Ah, little Ms. Muddleblood, is it?" she heard his voice echo in the hallway a bit. His voice was used in a boasting manner, his ego was far to big. "Well you put up quite a fight, but it seems as though I win, as I always do." He snarled and began to laugh in a sick, twisted way. 

"I'm fine, Sirius!" she heard James Potter's voice scream. Confusion hit the girl and slowly she opened her eyes, to find herself in her bed back at Hogwarts. Lily bolted up and looked around quickly. It had only been a dream. "Oh thank god." She panted and moved her hand through her sweat drenched hair.

"You aren't okay, James, so don't pull that crap with me. I know you better than that, Moony and Wormtail know you better than that and so do your parents. The whole school knows that something is bloody wrong. I'm your best mate, why can't you just tell me?" Sirius' voice boomed. 

Lily curiously pushed herself out of the bed and inched toward the doorway. Was he going to tell Sirius? Would she finally get to know what was wrong with James Potter? Over the past few weeks James had been driving her crazy. To most that wouldn't be at all shocking, he bugged her for six years straight already, but it wasn't in the same way anymore. His flirting and cocky ways had been replaced with a depressive and secluded state. She couldn't help but want to know what was wrong, but no one had any luck with solving the mystery, apparently even those who were close to him. So Lily was just dying to know what was going on with him. He had always seemed so unbreakable, so she wanted to know what it was that made James Potter tick. She had actually come close to asking what was what was wrong several times, but because she didn't have the nerve to try talking to him, so instead she was kept up with the wonder. She was even kept up some nights, trying to unriddle the problem, but not knowing exactly what was driving her crazy. It was like losing a good book, right before you were about to find out who the mass murderer was. Sure, you could think things out logically, make guesses as to who it could have been based on facts from the book, but it would never be the same as finding out for sure and you would never be fully satisfied.

"I'm fine, Sirius. Maybe I've just changed, you know, matured? It actually happens to some people!" James snapped.

"This isn't maturity, and if it is, it is one sad excuse for it." Sirius' voice was dripping with annoyance.

"Just because you never matured, and you still act like a bleeding ten year old, doesn't mean that it's impossible for me to mature." James' voice was filled with anger. Lily had seen him mad before, but never like this.

"Oh yeah, how mature of you, James." Sirius began walking toward the portrait hole and turned back around. "You know what mate? I've tried helping you, I've been around trying to help, but you just treat me like shit in return. So when you're ready to act like a friend again, ready to let me help you again, then come and find me."

"I've been a friend." James yelled at him.

"Oh yeah? A real friend woudln't have forgotten about Moony last night." Sirius spoke his final words, turned on his heel and disappeared out of the portrait hole.


End file.
